ST. CLOUD (MN)
St. Cloud Times
February 15, 2019
Karen Cyson
Let’s not discuss the varied opinions on border walls, refugees and immigration. Let’s not discuss the efficacy of vaccines or medical marijuana. Let’s not even discuss whether University Drive should be pushed through to U.S. Highway 10.
Can we agree on one thing? Can we agree that raping children is wrong? I think it’s wrong. Do you?
We live in a world where an international organization, one established on every continent save Antarctica, knows that thousands of its leaders have raped thousands of children over decades and perhaps centuries.
This week that organization is convening a summit to discuss the problem. Don’t hold your breath waiting for reform. Here are the words of the world leader of the group concerning the summit: “I permit myself to say that I’ve perceived a bit of an inflated expectation. We need to deflate the expectations.”
Those were the words of Pope Francis to the world’s1.2 billion Roman Catholics when he got wind of expectations that the summit Feb. 21-24 would produce a zero-tolerance policy regarding priests raping children, bishops and archbishops moving predators from parish to parish and cover-ups. Don’t get your hopes up. Don’t expect the summit to actually do anything.
Perhaps the pope isn’t aware of the magnitude of the problem. Could that be it? Sure, he’s spoken with survivors, he has acknowledged that there has been harm. Has he seen the lists? Have you?
The website BishopAccountability.org (bishop-accountability.org/priestdb/PriestDBbydiocese.html) maintains a list, by diocese, of credibly-accused priests in the U.S.While it may not be completely up to date, what with the release of 286 names in Texas last week, 58 priests named in Virginia andnearly 200 priests named in New Jersey on Thursday,it does contain an astonishing database of credibly-accused priests and the response of the Church (or lack thereof) in all 50 states. Just click on a state and view the roll call. The group that maintains this site has also added links to information on Chile, Argentina and Ireland.
On Thursday, Pope Francis will convene the summit to discuss the issue of sexual abuse with the intent of making bishops aware of the suffering of victims and protocols for dealing with complaints.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.